Improvement in machines for removing runners from strawberry vines



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

SAMUEL H. WARREN, OF WESTON, AND WILLIAM H. DEFREES, OF NEVTON- VILLE,MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES FUR REMVING RUNNERS FROM STRAWBERRY VINES.

Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 117,705, dated August1, 1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that we, SAMUEL H. WARREN, of Weston, and WILLIAM H. DEEnEEs,of Newtonville, both in the county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented a Machine for Removing Runners fromStrawberry Vines, and we do hereby declare that the following', taken inconnection with the `drawing which aecompanies and forms part of thisspecification, is a description of our invention, sufficient to enblethose skilled in the art to practice it.

Our invention relates to the construction of a machine for cutting oi'the runners of strawberry vines. In the modern culture of strawberriesit is the practice to grow the plants in hills or rows rather than. inbeds, severing the runners from the old vines instead oi' pegging77 thenew plants made by the runners or allowing them to root. To trim oli'the runners by hand is very laborious, and in the extensive cultivationof strawberry plants is Well nigh impossible, or at least impracticable.In our invention We substitute for the hand-clipping, and for aturf-cutter or trimmer, (which is sometimes employed,) a wheel-machine,having a guard for lifting the leaves of the old plants, a iinger forpassing under and lii'tin g the runners, and a knife or cutter forsevering' the runners held up by the in ger, the whole being mountedupon wheels, which enables the machine to be easily operated, and whichguides the runner-En ger as it moves forward. The invention consists inthe combination of the cutter, the runner-linger for raising the runnersand presenting them to the action of the cutter, and leaf-guard forprotecting the old plants from the action of the cutter.

The drawing represents a machine embodying our invention. A shows themachine in side elevation. B is a front view. C is a plan of it.

a denotes the frame, made of wood or of metal, and having a handle, I),extending rearward from it. Mounted upon suitable stud-pins projectingfrom this frame are wheels c d, the front or leader-wheel c being aguide and gauge-wheel, and the rear wheel d. a guiding, gauging, anddriving-wheel. 0n one side of the frame a. is

bolted a guard-plate, e, the iront end lof which stands at some distanceabove the ground, or above the plane of the treads of the two wheels od, and the top of which inclines upward, as seen at A. Under the frame cis a long tooth or Enger, f, the point of which extends below the planeof the tread ofthe two wheels 0 d, as seen at A, and the top of whichinclines upward, as seen at A, the iinger and the bottom plate oftheframe a making an angle, g. The point ofthe finger enters the groundslightly so as to insiue its passing beneath -the runners, and as theInachine moves forward the runner-stems pass up the incline until theyreach or come into the angle y, at which point they are severed by thecutter. la denotes a rotary cutter or cutter-wheel, hung upon a pin, t',extending from the frame a, and having a series of cutting-teeth, 7c. Inthe rotation of the wh eel 1L the cuttin g-edge ofeach tooth movesagainst the angle g and severs any stems or runners coming between itand the point of the angle. The cutting-edges may act simply inconnection with the face of the frame, or there may be a stationarycutting-edge or cutter, I., afixed in the frame and extending throughthe angle g. The cutter-wheel l1, has iiXed to it a pulley, m, connectedby a band, n, with a pulley, o, 011 the driving-wheel d., so that therotation ot' the wheel d upon the ground drives the rotary cutter-wheel.The cutter may be a reciprocating instead of a rotary cutter, but weprefer the rotary cutter, operating substantially as described.

In using the machine the/front or leader-wheel o is driven close up tothe plants, and the guard e passes under the leaves and lifts them upout of the path of' movement of the cutter-wheel, and the point of thenger j', running in the ground, takes up therunner-stems, which, passingup over the top of the ringer, are by it brought under the action of thecutter, so that the machine thus trims oft' the runners withoutsubjectiu g the vines to injury.

The combination of the guide-wheels c d, the cutting mechanism, therunner-finger j', and the leaf'- guide e, substantially as shown anddescribed.

SAMUEL H. WARREN. WVILLIAM II. DEFREES.

Vitnesses:

FRANCIS GoULn, M. WV. FROTIIINGIIAM.

